Indexers failing with unable to authenticate managed identity error

Question

Indexers failing with unable to authenticate managed identity error

C P Gold 20

Suddenly, since 29-Mar-2025 indexers are failing with the following error message -- "Unable to authenticate managed identity. Cannot find installed managed identity certificate. Ensure managed identity is enabled for your service."

Even if we try to create a new Indexer using Import and vectorize data wizard it fails with the above message. Every thing was working fine earlier. All the indexers were running fine. They were connected to Azure Blob data storage containers.

Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-03-31T14:34:10.23+00:00

Hi C P Gold,
Since everything was working well earlier and the issue suddenly started around March 29, 2025, it may be due to

End of managed identification certificate,Changes in azure infrastructure or configuration andMisconception of indexer or identity settings.

Check that the managed identity is properly capable of your azure service. You can check it in the Azure portal under the identity settings for your service.

Azure disabled and re-enable the system-assigned managed identity in the Azure Search Service and Prepare indexers with updated configurations,Re -test the connection to validate successful authentication

Since the issue is suddenly beginning, review any recent changes made in your azure environment that can affect the managed identity or indexer configuration.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-howto-managed-identities-sql
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-indexer-troubleshooting

if you have any further concerns or queries, please feel free to reach out to us.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-02T10:57:08.3233333+00:00

Hi C P Gold,
We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution.

please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
C P Gold 20 Reputation points

2025-04-02T12:35:02.9033333+00:00

Hi @Alekhya Vaddepally , Thanks for your help. We are still working on the lines you have suggested. The problem is still not resolved.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-03T04:19:23.86+00:00

Hi C P Gold, We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution.

please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

Accepted answer

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Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-03-31T14:34:10.23+00:00

Hi C P Gold,
Since everything was working well earlier and the issue suddenly started around March 29, 2025, it may be due to

End of managed identification certificate,Changes in azure infrastructure or configuration andMisconception of indexer or identity settings.

Check that the managed identity is properly capable of your azure service. You can check it in the Azure portal under the identity settings for your service.

Azure disabled and re-enable the system-assigned managed identity in the Azure Search Service and Prepare indexers with updated configurations,Re -test the connection to validate successful authentication

Since the issue is suddenly beginning, review any recent changes made in your azure environment that can affect the managed identity or indexer configuration.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-howto-managed-identities-sql
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-indexer-troubleshooting

if you have any further concerns or queries, please feel free to reach out to us.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-02T10:57:08.3233333+00:00

Hi C P Gold,
We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution.

please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
C P Gold 20 Reputation points

2025-04-02T12:35:02.9033333+00:00

Hi @Alekhya Vaddepally , Thanks for your help. We are still working on the lines you have suggested. The problem is still not resolved.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-03T04:19:23.86+00:00

Hi C P Gold, We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution.

please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

Answer 1

Hi C P Gold,
To Verify Managed Identity Status, navigate your Azure AI search service in the Azure portal in that "Under the settings," select the identity, Also check that the system-assigned managed identity has been determined to "turn". If it is already capable, consider closing it and then return the identity to refresh.

Confirm that the managed identity has the required permission for resources that it needs to access. For example, if Azure BLOB reaches storage, identity should have roles like "storage blob data reader".

After re -enabling the managed identity, update your indexer configuration to ensure that they refer to the right and current identity settings.

To implement the new configuration, remove the indexer and make it again.

Reflect on any amendment made in your Azure environment around March 29, 2025, which can affect managed identification or indexing settings.

Check the Azure activity log for any relevant entries.

To identify any ongoing issues or outages, visit the Azure status page or "Service Health" section in the Azure portal that can affect your services.
can you try with above steps it may be helpful.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-howto-managed-identities-data-sources?utm_source=chatgpt.com&tabs=portal-sys%2Cportal-user
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2182517/unable-to-retrieve-server-endpoint-for-account-%28se?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-indexer-troubleshooting?utm_source=chatgpt.com
If the answer is helpful, please click Accept Answer and kindly upvote it so that other people who faces similar issue may get benefitted from it.

Let me know if you have any further Queries.

C P Gold 20 Reputation points

2025-04-03T15:52:24.18+00:00

Thanks! @Alekhya Vaddepally As suggested by you, the issue was finally resolved by resetting the status in Settings->Identity menu of azure ai search service. In System Assigned tab we had to turn off the status, Save and the turn it on again. It created new object principal id. We then had to add role assignments of Storage Blob Data Reader, Storage Blob Data Contributor and Reader and Data Access in the storage account for the new managed identity. After that the indexers were up and running.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-03T16:01:06.6033333+00:00

Hi C P Gold
If the answer is helpful, please click Accept Answer and kindly upvote it so that other people who faces similar issue may get benefitted from it.

Let me know if you have any further Queries.

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Indexers failing with unable to authenticate managed identity error

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